Wear rods for skis of snowmobiles and similar vehicles

Abstract

A wear rod for skis of snowmobiles and similar vehicles, comprising a horizontal base for engaging an underside of a ski and a vertical wear element projecting downwardly from the horizontal base. The base provides firm support for the wear element and good protection for the ski against bending, whereas the wear element provides good penetration into the snow and good steering control. By making the wear element shorter than the base in the longitudinal direction of the ski, the ratio of the length of the wear element in front of the pivoting point of the ski to the ratio of the length behind this point can be varied to provide favorable steering control characteristics without affecting the support for the ski.

What we claim is: 
     
       1. A wear rod for skis of snowmobiles and similar vehicles, comprising a generally flat horizontal base for engaging an underside of a ski and a generally vertical wear element projecting downwardly from the horizontal base, wherein said base has dimensions of about 1/8×1×28 inches and said wear element has dimensions of about 1/4×3/4×22 inches. 
     
     
       2. A wear rod for skis of snowmobiles and similar vehicles, comprising a generally flat horizontal base for engaging an underside of a ski, a generally vertical wear element projecting downwardly from the horizontal base, and at least one bolt upstanding from said base forming an attachment for mounting said wear rod said ski, wherein said base and said bolt are offset laterally from a vertical longitudinal plane of said base on opposite sides of said plane. 
     
     
       3. A steering ski for a snowmobile or similar vehicle having a ski element and a wear rod attached to a lower surface of said ski element, said wear rod comprising a generally flat horizontal base for engaging said lower surface of said ski element and a generally vertical wear element projecting downwardly from the horizontal base, wherein said base extends in a lateral direction of said ski by a greater extent than said wear element. 
     
     
       4. A wear rod for skis of snowmobiles and similar vehicles, comprising a generally flat horizontal base for engaging an underside of a ski and a generally vertical wear element projecting downwardly from the horizontal base, wherein said base extends in a lateral direction of said ski by a greater extent than said wear element. 
     
     
       5. A wear rod according to claim 4 wherein said base has an area large enough to protect said ski in use from collapse around said wear element upon impact of said wear element with stationary objects. 
     
     
       6. A wear rod according to claim 4 wherein said wear element has a generally rectangular cross-section having a height and width suitable in use to impart stable steering characteristics to said ski. 
     
     
       7. A wear rod according to claim 4 wherein said base extends in a longitudinal direction of said ski by a greater length than said wear element. 
     
     
       8. A wear rod according to claim 4 further comprising an attachment for mounting said wear rod to said ski. 
     
     
       9. A wear rod according to claim 8 wherein said attachment comprises at least one bolt upstanding from said base. 
     
     
       10. A wear rod according to claim 4 having a wear resistant insert at a lower end of the wear element.